How to plan a Middle Eastern sharing dinner
A sharing dinner works best when the table has a clear centerpiece and a few thoughtful accompaniments. You do not have to order the whole menu.
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Explore Middle Eastern flavors, Mediterranean eating, kitchen stories and ideas for your next shared table.
200 original articles · food, flavor and everyday meal ideas
An office lunch with wraps, dips and easy sharing
A useful office lunch is easy to distribute and clear about who ordered what. Mediterranean wraps and shared sides can suit that practical approach.
Read article →A dessert table built around texture
A good dessert selection can be small and varied. Pastry layers, filled cookies and soft sweets each bring a different texture to the end of a meal.
Read article →Warm kunefe and the pleasure of a cheese dessert
Kunefe combines cheese, dough and sweetness in a dessert that feels very different from a crisp cookie or a piece of halva.
Read article →A first visit to Yalla: a simple food discovery plan
A first visit is a chance to find one or two favorites rather than solving the entire menu. Start with a format you already enjoy.
Read article →Taste preferences, not a contest: finding your favorite dish
Calling Middle Eastern food the tastiest is a matter of personal enthusiasm. A more useful question is which combinations make you want another bite.
Read article →Tahini starts with sesame, not chickpeas
Tahini and hummus are different things.
Read article →Cumin: the warm note behind a savory dish
Cumin brings a distinctive warm, earthy aroma to cooking.
Read article →Coriander seed and fresh cilantro taste different
Fresh cilantro and coriander seed come from the same plant, but they do different jobs in the kitchen.
Read article →Paprika: color does not tell you the heat
Paprika can bring color, a pepper aroma and varying amounts of heat depending on the variety.
Read article →Cinnamon beyond the dessert table
Cinnamon is familiar in sweets, but it can also appear as a background note in savory seasoning blends.
Read article →Black pepper has an aroma as well as a bite
Black pepper can add a fragrant edge to a dish before its heat becomes the main thing you notice.
Read article →Cardamom as a small finishing note
Cardamom has a strong, distinctive fragrance, so a little can shape the character of a sweet or spice mixture.
Read article →Dried mint and fresh mint have different jobs
Fresh mint gives a cool, leafy aroma that is noticeable as you bite.
Read article →Flat-leaf herbs are more than decoration
An herb can change a meal even when its quantity looks small.
Read article →Lemon zest and lemon juice do different work
Lemon juice supplies liquid and sharpness; the colored outer peel carries a different citrus aroma.
Read article →Orange-blossom aroma in a sweet finish
Orange-blossom water is used for its floral fragrance, not to make a dish taste like orange juice.
Read article →Rosewater is a fragrance, not a fruit filling
A rosewater-flavored sweet gets its character from a floral aroma.
Read article →Pomegranate molasses: tartness with a rich texture
Pomegranate molasses offers a concentrated, tart-sweet character and a thicker consistency than fruit juice.
Read article →Sesame seeds change both flavor and texture
Sesame can appear as a paste, an oil-containing seed or a topping with a small crunch.
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